


Say Forever and I Will Say It Too

by karcheri



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Destiny (?), Fluff and Angst, Geralt is in mad denial but it's okay because Jaskier is patient, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Geralt: Jaskier you're not ageing, Geralt: No., Getting Together, Jaskier: it only seems that way because of my impeccable charm and unmatched beauty, M/M, My boy Geralt is never going to catch a break, Oxenfurt Academy, The Astronomy Lecture of Love (tm), brief appearance of professor Jaskier, he jus doesn't know how to deal with them :(, lads we only write the soft stuff now, no I will not provide a reasonable explanation for it, not beta read we die like men, oh there's a brief episode 1.06 fix it in there as well, roach also lives forever because I say so who's going to stop me, these idiots are going to live forever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-04-25 18:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22327972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karcheri/pseuds/karcheri
Summary: “You’ll have to forgive an old bag for being winded…”Here Professor Lindenbrog, or Fiddle-Faddle as Geralt has more often heard him called, turns away from the handful or so attending his lecture to gaze wistfully out of the window- where the sun still sits high in the sky and drowns the great stone building in light.“A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really..."Do the stars gaze back?" Now, that's a question.”[1]In the corner of the room, where he has purposely tucked himself, Geralt holds his tongue. What a frivolous idea. Only a man such as this, who has spent his life in the relative comfort of stuffy rooms toiling over the unimposing non issues of the world could ever have conceived of it.Or: Sometime after the mountain fight, whilst inbetween contracts, Geralt assigns himself the task of solving the mystery of a human man who is not ageing. That man is Jaskier. It's 100% a professional interest on Geralt's part. Totally. Sure.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 11
Kudos: 437





	Say Forever and I Will Say It Too

**Author's Note:**

> "Among its more famous alumni are Shani and Dandelion. The former went on to become the dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Herbology, while the latter studied the seven liberal arts, graduating with summa cum laude honors. Dandelion went on to lecture at the institution many years after his graduation. The witcher Geralt also attended some lectures at the university, such as astronomy."
> 
> God bless the game wiki for this absolute gem

“You’ll have to forgive an old bag for being winded…”

Here Professor Lindenbrog, or Fiddle-Faddle as Geralt has more often heard him called, turns away from the handful or so attending his lecture to gaze wistfully out of the window- where the sun still sits high in the sky and drowns the great stone building in light.

“A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really..."Do the stars gaze back?" Now, that's a question.”[1]

In the corner of the room, where he has purposely tucked himself, Geralt holds his tongue. What a frivolous idea. Only a man such as this, who has spent his life in the relative comfort of stuffy rooms toiling over the unimposing non issues of the world could ever have conceived of it. But no matter- this is not the man Geralt came to see and the professor’s daydreams are no business of his no matter how questionable he finds them to be. He’s here in a working capacity, and he must focus on that.

Three jobs back he had the good fortune to be put up in the home of the local gravedigger and his wife, while he sorted out the problem of a necrophage for them- particularly a graveir. Normally, Geralt would leave such a thing be, but this one had taken to gorging on the bones of the living who dared wander into the cemetery as well as those of the dead and thus the issue had to be taken care of. It was during this episode that he overheard the gravedigger’s wife and what must have been a few of the local women gossiping from late into the night from the gravedigger’s kitchen.

“Rumor has it there’s a fellow up in Redania who doesn’t age, perhaps your witcher might find some interest in that,” Geralt had caught- one of the neighbors, maybe. The mention of a possible contract had piqued his attention. He heard the gravedigger’s wife pacing about.

“Come now, don’t be ridiculous. He’s better things to do than go around bother well ageing men.” 

An affected hmph had followed in response.

“No I hear he’s a professor at the academy. Meant to be in his 50’s but doesn’t look a day over 20!,” A different woman that time had said and Geralt turned it over in his mind. He firstly agreed with the lady of the house- there’s nothing inherently sinister about a human who’s gracefully ageing. He’d investigated such a thing before, worried for chance of encountering a higher vampire, and come up empty. He’d decided then to ignore the case if it was brought to him- until the first woman continued after a hushed, “Nonsense, Sarah,” from the gravedigger’s wife.

“It’s true! I’ve seen it for myself. It’s that bard who used to come around singing them silly songs! You remember- he had that one about the witcher!”

Hearing that Jaskier either _ is _ the trouble or is _ in _ trouble stirred something in Geralt. Like nostalgia or fondness. It made him rather uncomfortable. He tried resolutely to ignore it. He tuned out the women and made a vain effort to fall asleep, knowing him and roach would have to part from the town early in the morning, but it did not work. Their conversation nagged at him until Geralt was forced to accept that it is his duty as a witcher to investigate any happening that might be of harmful supernatural cause. This is what he told himself as he made his way to Oxenfurt, and again now as he bides his time through this lecture until Jaskier appears.

By the window, Lindenbrog hacks a cough and places a hand on his chest, using the other to grab the window ledge to steady himself, “They call me a hack for it, but the concept of destiny is very much one worth discussing and…”

The professor breaks off as a knock sounds in the room and Geralt follows his gaze to the door. Being late to a lecture is generally frowned upon in any academic institution, but especially so at Oxenfurt. Lidenbrog is frowning as if prepared to give a dressing down to the new arrival but switches to a smile before he can start in.

“Ah, and if it isn’t the grand romantic himself! Why, Professor Jaskier, we were just discussing your area of expertise.”

Jaskier half bows to the professor and waves his hand at those gathered around in a true to form showy gesture and Geralt finds that old feeling from the gravedigger’s home returning. Has he not changed at all? He has half a mind to think that the man is about to pull a lute out from who knows where and break into song again, as so many times before.

“Yes, the fairer sex-”

With an unsubtle cough and pointed bow of the head, Fiddle-Faddle cuts him off, “Jaskier. Please allow us to finish our previous discussion.”

Though as Geralt recalls, Jaskier is normally not one to be deterred, nonetheless he bows again and winks to the crowd before taking his own seat amongst them. Geralt counts his blessings that he hasn’t been noticed but finds himself curious if perhaps Jaskier has changed after all. If indeed this new behavior is just Jaskier showing respect as a former pupil of the professor’s, or if he has in all probability calmed with age. Worn softer with time where Geralt himself has only grown more sharp.

And how long has it been? How many years? Geralt loses track. He knows that Jaskier attended Oxenfurt shortly after they first met. He remembers cursing his bad luck every time they crossed paths, which in those days (a decade? Longer? It all blurs together) was often and remembers their fight, and then finding Ciri- a woman in her own right now, and thinking that surely they would run into Jaskier again; It was a given. But such did not happen. At the time he chalked it up to the circumstances: Yennefer, protecting Ciri, the war with Nilfgaard, but when the storm had passed they still did not meet. The possibility that Jaskier had taken to holding grudges had crossed his mind a time or two but he does not like to think of such things and wrote that idea off. It was as simple as this: Where their paths had once crossed and veered and tangled together, they now ran separate. It was nothing new for a witcher, and the years passed in relative silence. Besides, he had Yennefer and Ciri for a time, and company is company. Less annoying company, even.

Lost in these thoughts Geralt hardly noticed when the lecture ended and the room started clearing out. It is not until he hears Jaskier’s clear voice shout, “Garalt!,” from across the room that he is able to shake himself out of that line of thinking, and remember his purpose in being here. 

Jaskier makes a beeline towards him and stops once he is within reaching distance. Up close, Geralt is near taken aback by his appearance. Not only is his clothing subdued, dressed only in the usual style of a professor, hat included, but his hair is longer than Geralt ever remembers seeing it, just past his chin, and he has the beginnings of a beard on his face- but all this only provides the illusion of ageing. Almost like a child playing dress up in their parents clothing. His skin is smooth, unblemished by sagging or wrinkles. All the usual signs of a life long lived are nowhere to be found. So focused on this is Geralt, that he almost fails to grasp thats Jaskier is speaking to him.

“Old friend! I hadn’t heard you were in town, do tell me, what fun adventure are you on now? Hunting a monster or-”

The urge to let Jaskier ramble on is more tempting than Geralt expected. He had forced himself to grow used to silence again on the road and now faced with the old way of things he can admit, if only to himself, that he enjoyed Jaskier’s company. But he is here for a reason.

“Jaskier.”

Jaskier stops and smiles (this too is new- before, if asked to stop, he would just keep on talking with no regard), “Sorry, Garalt. I have missed you, you know.” 

Geralt grunts in answer. He does not know what to do with this type of thing, nor did he know what to do with it on the mountain all those years ago. _ We could head to the coast _ and _ I’m just trying to figure out what pleases me. _

“Jaskier. You are not ageing.”

He practically beams at Geralt and Geralt has to sqaush down the part of himself that finds joy in, that is practically proud of, the fact that he could make Jaskier happy. It does not do him well to hold onto a feeling of that sort.

“Is that a compliment? I’m so glad you’ve noticed-”

He pushes Jaskier against the wall and pins him there by the chest. He can feel his heartbeat through his tunic but he doesn’t smell fear. What would he do if he does? The more obvious answer is stop. The less obvious answer is admit that Jaskier has and has always had that power over him. He tightens his grip.

“Jaskier. What did you do. To end up. like this.”

Jaskier is breathing heavy. Geralt can feel his chest rise and fall under his hand. He finds himself frozen as Jaskier’s hand comes up to cover the one that is pinning him to the wall. At first, he assumes it will be a failed attempt on Jaskier’s part to fight back, but a moment passes and the hand on top of his does not move. It just lays comfortably over his own and reluctantly Geralt releases him.

“I’ve no idea what you’re on about Garalt,” he says softly and Geralt concedes that if the man got himself into a mess, at the very least, he is unaware of it. Still, he should be more careful.

Geralt grunts again and grabs Jaskier by the arm, pushing him towards the door. It is a full days ride to the nearest mage who could examine him.

He sputters in protest (“Garalt I’ve a lecture to give in half an hour-”) but he doesn’t make any real effort to escape. If Geralt didn’t know any better, he’d almost chance that Jaskier looks pleased at this turn of events. He always did get bored.

To navigate their way out through the maze of hallways at Oxenfurt Academy takes longer than expected, with Jaskier offering directions, but breaking off in tangents related to his own time here, but they make their way to Roach in due time, and it is only then that Jaskier asks where exactly it is they are going. Geralt does not answer-too busy resolutely ignoring the way that Jaskier is gently petting Roach.

Despite receiving no answer to his question, Geralt finds that Jaskier sticks close to him, humming under his breath, as he leads them to the necessary road. Reassured by the noise that Jaskier has not wandered off, Geralt can set himself to the task at hand.

Doing something as familiar as following the road puts him at ease. It is easy work, uncomplicated by emotion or need- and being around Jaskier again has been unsettling. He’d expected, and perhaps wanted, Jaskier to be unchanged. He would know better where they stand if that had been the case. But Jaskier has changed, was changing even during the times when they were together. The Jaskier he met first in that tavern at the edge of the world was not the Jaskier who went up that mountain with him and that Jaskier is not the Jaskier before him now. But he is the same Geralt, and he made his decision on that mountain. It was for the best that they not see each other again. The situation at hand notwithstanding. 

Speaking of, it is a small blessing that Jaskier had not had his lute on him when they departed. He’s uncharacteristically kept to humming thus far but Geralt is sure that as soon as they set up camp for the night, the ballads will roll out, and then surely be stuck in his head for the days that follow. Sometimes, he’ll still sing the old ones to himself on long journeys. Not that he would ever admit it. 

They keep on this way until the sun begins to set and Geralt halts them at the nearest clearing, and they fall quietly back into their old routine. Geralt ties and unsaddles Roach while Jaskier collects firewood, and then Geralt goes to hunt whatever he can find for their supper.

He returns with two rabbits, already skinned and cleaned, to find Jaskier stripped to his underclothes, scribbling away in what Geralt knows to be his song-journal. Not singing, but still humming to himself, deep in concentration. He finds himself struck not only by the warmth of the image but by the memory of having seen it many times before as well. An odd feeling settles deep in the pit of his stomach.

“You’ve been quiet,” he directs at Jaskier while putting the meat on the fire. 

Jaskier sighs and moves his writing feather behind his ear, closing the song journal and tucking it away in his trousers before crossing his arms. 

“Well I have just been kidnapped.”

Always so dramatic. This at least is familiar territory.

“You’ve been enchanted or cursed. I am only taking you to be looked at by a mage.”

Jaskier furrows his eyebrows and looks over at him. He finds it hard to look away.

“And if I haven’t been?”

The question feels heavy and Geralt weighs his answer carefully. For if the mage cannot find the answer, then Geralt has failed him. For there is something wrong- one does not gain eternal youth without consequences. Geralt himself can testify to that fact. He does not want to see Jaskier hurt when he could prevent it.

“Then we will track down whatever cause it is.”

He senses as soon as he says it that was perhaps the wrong answer, and knows it for sure when jaskier turns away from him. 

“Is the thought of being stuck with me forever truly that horrible for you Garalt?”

It is said with a flair, meant to be easily played off if necessary, but this is a trick of Jaskier’s that Geralt remembers. Once after a performance in a tavern had, in a rare strike, gone over poorly and Jaskier had been covered in rotting food for it Geralt had asked point blank why he was not upset about his work life’s work being torn to shreds and Jaskier had replied: _ I am, but it is easier to play the fool dear friend. _

So he knows this trick, only of course the answer is no. He can still feel the burning of Jaskier’s hand on his earlier, can still see his silhouette outlined by the fire, can still hear him humming.

“Of course not.” 

And there’s Jaskier beaming at him again and then Jaskier is grabbing his hands and then Jaskier is kissing him and after they break apart Geralt refuses to let go of his hands.

Jaskier laughs. 

“You oaf- Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to catch up?” he says and Geralt finds himself laughing too. Yes, he does quite think that the stars were gazing back at them. They will still have to go to the mage in the morning but there’s no reason that they can’t go everywhere else together too.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  


**Author's Note:**

> [1] Quote pulled from Neil Gaiman's 'Stardust'
> 
> *For Jaskier's age I worked off the assumption that he was 19 when he met Geralt and then attempted to mesh that timeline with his academic timeline from the other verses and where Jaskier says Geralt's name I use an a in place of the e because Joey Batey drags out the a when he says it in the show


End file.
